Found My Pleco Belly Up

[njnauticalnut]

I have been housing my pleco and 2 serpae tetras in my 5 gallon while my 75 gallon is fishless cycling. The cycle is taking much longer than expected. The other day when I was cleaning the tank, I tapped my pleco with the algae brush--he didn't seem hurt and swam away. Yesterday he seemed okay as well, of course they are not the most active creatures in the tank. Last night when I got home he was belly up on the bottom. I am not sure if he got stressed or hurt from the brush or if it was just too long a wait in a small tank.

good buddy!

I am still deciding on whether to move the neons and get a couple of danios for the small tank once the larger tank is cycled and the serpae are rehoused. However, I want to get a fish to help with my tank cleaning (not take my place ). I know otos are small, but also know they are somewhat delicate. Would one be okay in a small tank? I know bristlenose plecos are smaller, but would have to check on their size. Any suggestions?

 

[smithrc]

sorry for the plec

on the up side, bristle noses rule - get a pair and a cave... and breed them
they get to about 5 inches

 

[Nina7777]

Bristle nose plecos would not be a good choice for a 5 gallon.

Try getting 2 or 3 ottos. They are wonderful little cleaners and will get on just fine in a smaller tank. As far as my experience goes, they aren't any delicator than the plecs.

oh and little pleco.

Don't have any clue as to what may have gone wrong. I would have suggested amonia or nitrite posioning due to them being extremely messy and a five gallon not being nearly big enough. but if it didn't hurt the others than i don't think that is what it was.

I would wait untill your bigger tank is cycled, and then get a pair of bristlenoses for that tank.

Good luck!

 

[njnauticalnut]

Don't have any clue as to what may have gone wrong. I would have suggested amonia or nitrite posioning due to them being extremely messy and a five gallon not being nearly big enough. but if it didn't hurt the others than i don't think that is what it was.

I checked the water parameters regularly and they always came up amonia 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates 10-20ppm. With regular water changes and vacuuming, the tank stays pretty stable. I don't know what happened to Oscar (my pleco), I just was very saddened and surprised to he had died.

Thanks for the info on the otos. I think I will go with them.

 

[smithrc]

sorry - i assumed we woere talking about the 75 gallon

I only keep fry in my 4gal - I wouldn't keep anything in a 5 gal on a permanent basis to be honest